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theses

Cajun music is a staple in southern Louisiana. It is not the blues and jazz of New Orleans or the Zydeco washboards and accordions of Opelousas. It is music that was brought to the swamps and bayous of Louisiana by the Acadians, the white descendants that were forced from Nova Scotia in the Great Expulsion in the 1700s. When they moved to Louisiana they expanded on this music that has become a part of life in what is called Cajun Country – the 22 parishes that are identified as the Heart of Acadiana. Among other factors, educational and cultural efforts such as the formation of CODOFIL in 1968 by the Louisiana legislature have seen the last three decades as a new generation for the Cajun heritage. It is thanks to these efforts that there is a new generation of Cajun musicians that are now coming of age. What this means for the area, that is fiercely traditional, is Cajun music is now being revered. Music that has been handed down from generation to generation is being recognized as the unique genre it is without compromising the original integrity of the music – the efforts of CODOFIL seen in this new generation of musicians that were some of the first participants of the French Immersion Program put in place in the public school system in south Louisiana. Lafayette, Louisiana is called the “Heart of Acadiana,” and this, as well as surrounding parishes, is where Cajun music is played live – in local clubs, restaurants, and festivals. Travel a short distance from Lafayette to Opelousas, Mamou, New Iberia, Breaux Bridge, Abbeville, or Grand Coteau to find live Cajun music playing virtually every weekend. It is here we can see the efforts that were – and still are put into preserving the Acadian and French heritage. Educators, government workers, and members of the Cajun community have shared the responsibility of preserving the Cajun heritage.

ETD_6546

M.A.

Includes bibliographical references

by Kova M. Herrick

doi:10.7282/T3CJ8G8F

ETD graduate

The author owns the copyright to this work.